GRAND RAPIDS, MI – A man who shot a 16-year-old following a gang-related spat will spend three to seven years in prison for a crime that drew a condemnation from a Kent County Circuit Court judge on Tuesday.

Torres was with friends in the 1300 block of Broadway Avenue NW when he got into an argument with a teen who allegedly made a disparaging remark about the street gang SUR-13. The insult was followed by a rock being thrown at a vehicle Torres had been riding in.

Torres responded by pulling a handgun and firing toward the crowd the teen was in, hitting Malik Brown, inflicting a flesh wound to the leg, according to court records.

Torres pleaded guilty last month to felonious assault, carrying a concealed weapon and felony use of firearm as part of a plea agreement that saw more serious assault charges dismissed.

Johnston, during the sentencing, told Torres that an insult is not enough to justify use of deadly force.

Torres’ attorney Daniel Watkins told the judge that his client learned that he cannot take matters into his own hands and Torres realizes he is lucky not to be facing much harsher charges.

Johnston sentenced Torres to a mandatory sentence of two years in prison for felonious use of a firearm after which time he begins a one to five-year sentence for the other charges.

Torres has a criminal record that includes use of marijuana from 2013. He pleaded guilty to the charge and was sentenced under a statute that allows first-time offenders to have a drug charge taken off their record if they live up to the terms of their probation.

Torres did not live up to the terms, keeping the conviction on his record and landing him in jail a year ago.